[DC3] RES: ITU Council seeking input on how Community Networks increase Internet connectivity

Hi Carlos and all Thanks a lot for sharing this First, I agree this is yet another recognition that that the work of DC3 members is producing meaningful impact. Although one may criticise the ITU, as any other institution, there are a lot of very fine people working in good faith there to accomplish the ITU mandate, which is to let everyone enjoy his/her right to communications, everywhere. In this spirit I strongly agree with Carlos, and I think we could even organise a DC3 contribution to the consultation. A very easy way is to submit the 2019 outcome (or a document based on the 2019 outcome), which already has a very clear and informative format and is an IGF outcome (let's do not forget the IGF is an outcome of the originally ITU-led WSIS) Another way would be to collect short contributions, that we can mix or add to some parts of the 2019 outcome. This would require a little bit of work, but it could be a series of brief documents, describing concretely CN experiences that we can use as evidence that to back the policy suggestions (which are in the 2019 outcome) we are putting forward. What do people here on this list think? All the best Luca ________________________________ De: dc3-bounces(a)listas.altermundi.net [dc3-bounces(a)listas.altermundi.net] em nome de Carlos [carlos(a)apc.org] Enviado: sexta-feira, 29 de maio de 2020 5:07 Para: dc3(a)listas.altermundi.net Assunto: Re: [DC3] ITU Council seeking input on how Community Networks increase Internet connectivity Hi AmalI, The G20 mentioned CNs indeed in its "COVID-19 Response Statement from the G20 Virtual Ministerial Meeting" as one of the means to expand connectivity “Furthermore, digital capacities should be expanded, in particular by increasing broadband connectivity using fixed, mobile, and satellite technologies and by exploring non-traditional means of connectivity, such as community networks.” https://g20.org/en/media/Documents/G20%20DETF%20COVID-19%20Ministerial%20St… Policy makers are going sufficiently slow about CNs in most countries. If at all, I see the interest of the ITU contributing to speed up things. It's obviously voluntary for everyone to participate in this process, but the process is taking place regardless, and either we contribute or the likes of the GSMA, Viasat and Telefonica will contribute with their own definitions of community networks which are very far from the ones that have been considered here. In that case, is not only that the ITU may influence policy makers, is that is will influence them with the wrong evidence. Here an example of the interpretation of what community involvement means for GSMA and one of its members https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/GSMA-C… https://techcentral.co.za/vodacom-to-pay-community-members-to-protect-its-b… best, carlos On 28/5/20 21:07, Raoul Plommer wrote: We need to work with ITU, if we want changes like free spectrum to break through internationally. However, I totally agree that we need to be very careful what power we give them in advising them. -Raoul On Thu, 28 May 2020 at 16:46, sivasubramanian muthusamy <6.internet@gmail.com<mailto:6.internet@gmail.com>> wrote: It is good to keep the ITU informed, but this can't lead to a situation where ITU gains total legitimacy over all policy related to community networks, which might place the ITU in a position to influence all decisions, some of which might cause the policy makers to go slow on Community Networks... (Sorry, I find it difficult to trust the influences weighing in on ITU) On Thu, May 28, 2020, 19:10 gphlilanthi <gphlilanthi@gmail.com<mailto:gphlilanthi@gmail.com>> wrote: I hear G20 are supporting CN. Does anyone know of any specifics regarding this policy please? Regards AmalI De Silva-Mitchell Sent from my Galaxy Tab A (2016) -------- Original message -------- From: Carlos <carlos@apc.org<mailto:carlos@apc.org>> Date: 27/05/2020 22:20 (GMT-08:00) To: dc3 <dc3@listas.altermundi.net<mailto:dc3@listas.altermundi.net>> Subject: [DC3] ITU Council seeking input on how Community Networks increase Internet connectivity Hi everyone, After all the noise some of us have made at national, regional and international Internet Governance spaces, it looks like the ITU Council wants to hear directly “How can small/community/non-profit operators help in promoting the increase of Internet connectivity?” This poses an unique opportunity to showcase directly to the ITU Council all the amazing work that most of you are doing, specially at times where CNs are gaining more and more visibility to curve the digital divide and rural marginalization that is now more and more apparent due to the pandemic. And I say directly because this request is made through one of the very few consultations the ITU open to all stakeholders: the Open Public Consultation of the Council Working Group on International Internet-related Public Policy Issues (CWG-Internet). I provide a bit of background about it below for those who are interested. The consultation is structured as a set of questions, one of them the one included above, available in the following link: https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/consultation-sep2020.aspx where you can also find important information and instructions on the submission process. I think it is strategically important that the ITU receives as many contributions from each of us as possible highlighting the many different ways community operators help in promoting the increase of Internet connectivity. This will surely contribute in creating a more policy and regulatory environment for community networks in each of your countries. I’ve copied some of the basic instructions to participate below. Participating can be as easy as forwarding existing text you may have written (the GISWatch country report for those of you who wrote it: https://www.giswatch.org/community-networks) to the email address below. Note that your online submission can be drafted in a UN language other than English (these are Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish), but you are encouraged (not obliged) to provide a translation in English for the benefit of all readers. At APC we are available to provide support to any of you wanting to make a submission but struggling with the process. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly. Best, carlos == Basic instructions == You can include your responses to the questions into the online form in the following link : https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/form-oct2019.aspx OR send it to InternetPublicViews@itu.int<mailto:InternetPublicViews@itu.int> including your Full Name, Title, Country and Organization you are representing. Your response will then be published on the ITU Website: https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/consultation-sep2020.aspx Please include each submission also includes a short summary/abstract (1-3 paragraphs). This will form part of the final summary document to be published after the end of the physical open consultation meeting. == Background == ITU Council Working Groups There are different Working Groups set up to provide input to the ITU Council in different matters. In the last last Council Group (February, 2020) meeting four appeared to be active [1]: - Council Working Group on International Internet-related Public Policy Issues (CWG-Internet) - Council working group on Child Online Protection (WG-CP) - Council Working Group on WSIS (WG-WSIS) - Council Working Group on Financial and Human Resources (CWG-FHR) The participation in those working groups varies and some are for Members States (MS) only, others allow for the participation of Sector Members (too). CWG-Internet is limited to Member States, but they hold an open consultation to all stakeholders. This poses one of the few opportunities for Civil Society Organizations that are not Sector Members of the ITU to present their views to the ITU Council. In most other ITU’s consultations, organizations such as the Association for Progressive Communications and the Internet Society, both with Sector Member status do their best to bring the voice of the Civil Society in general, and of community networks in particular to these spaces. In particular, CWG-Internet is tasked to identify, study and develop matters related to international Internet-related public policy issues and to disseminate its outputs throughout ITU's membership, as well as to report annually to the Council on activities undertaken on these subjects [2] [3]. The 13th Session of the ITU Council Working Group on International Internet-related Public Policy Issues (CWG-Internet) decided on 20 September 2019 to hold an open consultation (online and physical) on “International internet-related public policy issues on harnessing new and emerging telecommunications/ICTs for sustainable development” where some of our contributions provided already content in relation to community connectivity [4]. In the 13th Session it was also decided that the next round of Open Consultations (February 2020 – August 2020), on the topic of “Expanding Internet Connectivity” with the questions below: [5] Expanding Internet Connectivity - What are the challenges and opportunities for expanding Internet connectivity, particularly to remote and under-served areas? What are the roles of governments and non-government actors in overcoming these challenges? - Are there particular challenges facing land-locked countries in securing affordable Internet access? What can be done to overcome these challenges? - How can small/community/non-profit operators help in promoting the increase of Internet connectivity? [1] https://www.itu.int/en/council/Pages/groups.aspx [2] https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/default.aspx [3] https://www.itu.int/md/S19-CL-C-0136/en [4] https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/consultation-oct2019.aspx [5] https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-s/md/19/rclintpol13/c/S19-RCLINTPOL13-C-001… -- Carlos Rey-Moreno, PhD Local Access Policy and Regulation Coordinator Association for Progressive Communications https://www.apc.org/en/project/connecting-unconnected-supporting-community-… Cel: +27 (0) 76 986 3633 Skype: carlos.reymoreno Twitter: Creym _______________________________________________ DC3 mailing list DC3@listas.altermundi.net<mailto:DC3@listas.altermundi.net> https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 _______________________________________________ DC3 mailing list DC3@listas.altermundi.net<mailto:DC3@listas.altermundi.net> https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 _______________________________________________ DC3 mailing list DC3@listas.altermundi.net<mailto:DC3@listas.altermundi.net> https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 _______________________________________________ DC3 mailing list DC3@listas.altermundi.net<mailto:DC3@listas.altermundi.net> https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 -- Carlos Rey-Moreno, PhD Local Access Policy and Regulation Coordinator Association for Progressive Communications https://www.apc.org/en/project/connecting-unconnected-supporting-community-… Cel: +27 (0) 76 986 3633 Skype: carlos.reymoreno Twitter: Creym